Developing Labour Market Information for the Nonprofit Sector

“Do you have any data on…?” is a question we hear more and more often from employers. “We need more information on…” is a recurring lament from researchers and others working to understand and address labour force issues in this sector. The quest for ways to resolve the sector’s recruitment and retention challenges consistently points to the need for more information that draws people to work in the sector and helps them make career decisions.
There are many kinds of Labour Market Information (LMI) and it comes from many sources. LMI is used in many different ways. Here are a few examples:

Knowing how many people are qualified for particular kinds of work helps employers see how easy or difficult it might be to find a new employee

Projections of future demand in different occupations helps people planning their careers identify good prospects

Statistics about the number of people with certain qualifications and estimates of future demand for them help educational institutions decide what programs to offer

Data on salaries and benefits let employers know how much they need to pay and employees know what they can expect to earn

Evidence of chronic high unemployment in a geographic area or a particular segment of the population can lead to changes in government policy or programs

Nonprofits require good labour market information in order to determine skill and education requirements for positions in the sector; identify and attract potential workers; fill job vacancies; and plan for the future, among other uses.